Geverifieerde rulings en officieel bevestigde community-inzichten, met per item de volledige bewijsketen: bron, citaat en klikbare §-verwijzingen.
battlefield control without units
When a player controls the battlefield but has no units there (achievable via Hostile Takeover or Stormbringer), the current rules have a gap with no obvious outcome. The interim ruling is to start a noncombat showdown as the least disruptive way to handle this scenario. Citaat uit de bron: “starting a noncombat showdown is the least disruptive way to handle this scenario”
When an Attacker destroys all Defending units and still has units remaining, they conquer the Battlefield and immediately score 1 point; additionally, every time a Battlefield is conquered without winning the game, the conquering player draws a card.
“every time you conquer a Battlefield but it doesn't win you the game, you get to draw a card”
Cruel Patron (187.4.c example) (§187.4.c)
If a player kills their only unit at a battlefield to pay Cruel Patron's additional cost, a cleanup is triggered, but control of the battlefield is not lost because Cruel Patron is on the chain. The player may then choose to play Cruel Patron to that same battlefield. Citaat uit de bron: “because there is an item on the chain (Cruel Patron) I don't lose control of the battlefield”
Ravenborn Tome's Bonus Damage effect now applies only to the next spell played 'this turn,' preventing the bonus from carrying forward to future turns.
“The next spell you play this turn deals 1 Bonus Damage.”
Spinning Axe – granted Temporary
If Temporary is granted to an attached Spinning Axe, it has two instances of Temporary: one inactive (the printed keyword, does not trigger) and one active (the granted keyword, does trigger). The active granted Temporary will kill the Spinning Axe at the start of its controller's Beginning Phase. Citaat uit de bron: “The Spinning Axe will have two instances of the Temporary keyword - one that is active and one that is inactive. The inactive keyword will not trigger”
Each Battlefield can only award 1 point per turn; moving a unit away and replacing it with another unit in the same turn does not grant additional points.
“Moving away from a battlefield and back to it with another unit the same turn will not gain you a bonus point.”
“Each Battlefield only gives you 1 point per turn max. You can't move a unit away and move a new one in to score twice.”
Battlefield Control (open state, rule 187.4.c) (§187.4.c)
Per rule 187.4.c, a player loses control of a battlefield only in a cleanup that occurs while the turn is in an Open state and they have no units there (and no Combat/Showdown is ongoing). Control cannot be lost during a cleanup while items remain on the chain, enabling effects that kill or banish a unit and then play a new one to target that same battlefield. Citaat uit de bron: “If a player has no Units at a Battlefield and the turn is in an Open state, they lose Control of that Battlefield in the following cleanup”
Units with the Ganking ability may move directly from one Battlefield to another, whereas normal units can only move between their controller's Base and a Battlefield.
“only units with the Ganking ability may move between battlefields”
“Some units have Ganking though, which lets them move from Battlefield to Battlefield.”
Mandatory Actions and Private Information
A player cannot be compelled to perform an action on cards whose privacy is secret or private if that action specifies a type or quality of card. If such an effect would compel this, the player may ignore it instead. This means Rift Herald's Deathknell cannot force an opponent to play a unit from hand. Citaat uit de bron: “A player cannot be compelled to perform an action on cards whose privacy is secret or private if that action specifies a type or quality of card.”
Gear cards enter play in the Ready state (not Exhausted), so they can be used immediately; Gear always enters at the controller's Base.
“Gear cannot hold or conquer battlefields, and can only exist in base. If a Gear card is played at a battlefield, it is immediately recalled to the base.”
“Gear enters play Ready, so you can use it right away. It always goes to your Base.”
Baited Hook (187.4.c example) (§187.4.c)
When Baited Hook resolves, kills the targeted unit (the sole unit at a battlefield), and the player plays a unit from the top 5 cards, that unit goes pending on the chain. The outstanding cleanup cannot strip battlefield control while a chain item is pending, so the finalized unit can be played to the same battlefield where the kill occurred. Citaat uit de bron: “I can't lose control of the battlefield because the played unit is on the chain pending”
Action Spells may be played during the controller's turn or during a Showdown; on an opponent's turn, a player may only play Action Spells during Showdowns.
“Most Spells are labeled Action, which means you can play them during your turn or during a Showdown. If it's not your turn, you can only play Action Spells during Showdowns.”
Zilean + Deceiver (no infinite token loop)
When Deceiver's reflexive trigger copies Zilean, Time Mage, the two Reflection tokens resolve and become copies of Zilean. However, there is no subsequent 'play token' game action for Zilean's replacement effect to apply to, so no further tokens are produced and the loop does not repeat. Citaat uit de bron: “there is no subsequent play game action involving tokens to apply their replacement effects to”
A unit's Might value represents both the damage it deals in combat and the total damage it can absorb before being destroyed.
“Might... this number shows how much damage they deal AND how much they can take”
344.2
Rule 344.2 updated: a Showdown is opened during the Cleanup at the end of the action that caused the Battlefield to become Contested if there aren't units controlled by different players at that Battlefield — replacing the old condition of 'the Battlefield is uncontrolled when it becomes Contested.' Citaat uit de bron: “If Control of a Battlefield is Contested and there aren't units controlled by different players there, a Showdown is opened during the Cleanup at the end of the action.”
During the Beginning Phase, each player channels 2 Runes from the top of their Rune Deck; the second player channels 3 Runes on their very first turn to compensate for going second.
“If you're going second on your very first turn, you get 3 Runes instead to help catch up.”
Contested Status (§323.8)
When a player moves a unit to a battlefield they don't control, the Contested status is applied to that battlefield immediately upon the unit becoming located there — regardless of whether units controlled by another player are present. Per rule 323.8, a Showdown is then staged at that battlefield in the following cleanup. Citaat uit de bron: “apply the Contested status to that battlefield immediately upon becoming located there, regardless of whether there are units controlled by another player there or not.”
Even when no enemy units are present during a Showdown, both players may still play Actions and Reactions in an attempt to remove the attacking units.
“Even if there are no enemy units, players may still play Actions and Reactions to try and remove the attacking units.”
323.6
Rule 323.6 is corrected to read: 'Players lose control of any controlled Battlefields without their Units occupying them if the turn is in an open state and there is no Showdown or Combat ongoing there.' This replaces the old wording, which incorrectly made unoccupied battlefields with no Showdown or Combat become universally Uncontrolled rather than stripping control only from the player whose units are absent. Citaat uit de bron: “Players lose control of any controlled Battlefields without their Units occupying them if the turn is in an open state and there is no Showdown or Combat ongoing there.”
A player's main deck may only contain cards belonging to the domains listed on their Champion Legend card.
“her deck must only contain cards of the Mind and Order domain”
Accelerate
Accelerate creates a delayed replacement effect that causes the card to enter ready. This delayed replacement effect persists on the card even after the Accelerate keyword itself is no longer present when the card resolves. Citaat uit de bron: “Accelerate creates a delayed replacement effect that causes Atakhan to enter ready. Although he lacks the Accelerate keyword when he resolves, he still has the delayed replacement effect”
Signature Cards are Legend-specific cards that can only be included in a deck matching their designated Legend, with a maximum of 3 total Signature Cards permitted across the entire deck.
“You can only use them with their matching Legend, and you can't put more than 3 total Signature Cards in your deck.”
Elder Dragon (§460.2.c.3)
Elder Dragon's passive ('Any amount of your damage is enough to kill enemy units') alters the lethal damage threshold for units with damage marked by Elder Dragon's controller to any non-zero amount. As a result, Elder Dragon can check damage marked on units before it enters the board, and its controller need only assign one damage per unit during the Combat Damage step. Citaat uit de bron: “Elder Dragon can check damage marked on units by its controller before it enters the board, and that players need only assign one damage to units during the Combat Damage step while they control Elder”
Recalling a unit to base via Zhonya's Hourglass is explicitly not considered a move.
“Send it to base. This isn't a move.”
Spinning Axe (Temporary while attached) (§816.2.a)
When Spinning Axe is attached to a unit, its printed rules text—including its printed Temporary keyword—becomes inactive. If Spinning Axe is separately granted Temporary, only that granted instance is active. Because only one active instance exists, rule 816.2.a does not prevent it from triggering; the inactive printed Temporary is treated as if it did not exist. Citaat uit de bron: “the grey Temporary doesn't have any function. We can treat it as if it didn't exist for the purposes of rule 816.2.a.”
Yone, Blademaster
Yone's ability checks the control status of the battlefield immediately before he conquers it. He triggers at the end of a noncombat showdown in which he conquers an uncontrolled battlefield. He also triggers in 'surprise defense' scenarios where units move during a showdown and he ends up defending a battlefield he doesn't control—if he conquers it, the battlefield was uncontrolled before he conquered it. Citaat uit de bron: “We're tweaking his text to cue off the control status of the battlefield immediately before conquering it.”
Victory condition – simultaneous VP (§323.1)
Per rules 323.1 and 467, a player wins during a cleanup only if they have points ≥ the Victory Score AND more points than any opponent. If both players are tied at the Victory Score, neither wins; they must score additional points to satisfy both conditions. Citaat uit de bron: “If both players are at 8 points, they have not fulfilled both requirements for winning the game. They will need to score additional points in order to win.”
Counter Strike vs. Elder Dragon (§437.2.a)
If Counter Strike (or any prevent effect) completely prevents Elder Dragon's 1 damage to a unit, that damage is never dealt per rule 437.2.a. Since no damage is dealt, Elder Dragon's passive ability—which redefines lethal damage thresholds for units that have damage marked on them by its controller—has no opportunity to apply to that unit. Citaat uit de bron: “If the damage is entirely prevented, it is never dealt per rule 437.2.a., and thus there is no opportunity for the passive ability of Elder Dragon to apply”
Rell, Magnetic
Rell, Magnetic is revised to use a reflexive trigger for Equipment attachment: when she attacks and you play a qualifying Equipment for free, 'then do this:' attaches it to her as a separate chain item, allowing players to respond before the attachment resolves. Citaat uit de bron: “If you do, then do this: Attach it to me.”
Arise!
Arise! is revised to use a reflexive trigger: it first plays a 2 [M] Sand Soldier unit token for each Equipment you control, then 'Then do this:' readies up to two of them, allowing players to respond between the two effects. Citaat uit de bron: “Play a 2 [M] Sand Soldier unit token for each Equipment you control. Then do this: Ready up to two of them.”